Massachusetts
Small businesses are the backbone of Massachusetts’ economy — employing more than 1.4 million people and representing 99.5% of businesses in the state. As lawmakers consider new laws and regulations, it’s crucial that they weigh the potential impact on small businesses’ ability to use affordable, effective digital tools to grow, compete, and stay resilient in today’s uncertain economy.
Key Policy Issues
Data Privacy
Massachusetts Data Privacy Act (S.2619)
Overview: Across the country in the absence of a federal privacy framework, states have begun developing a patchwork of laws relating to basic consumer data that make it difficult for small businesses to comply. In Massachusetts, small businesses use basic customer data every day to reach customers and grow beyond their neighborhoods.
The Problem: S.2619 adds to the current patchwork of state privacy laws. Though well-intentioned, the proposal overregulates how small businesses use data that powers essential digital tools that many businesses use every day to reach customers and grow.
The Impact: Overregulating basic customer data will restrict small businesses’ access to affordable digital tools that level the playing field against big competitors. Customers could miss out on information about products, services, and promotions they are interested in, while small businesses that engage in standard promotional practices could face costly and unnecessary lawsuits.
Co-sponsors: Michael O. Moore, Cynthia Stone Creem, William J. Driscoll, Jr., Joanne M. Comerford, Rebecca L. Rausch, James B. Eldridge, Julian Cyr, Bradley H. Jones, Jr., Patricia D. Jehlen
Status: S.2619 passed the Massachusetts Senate on September 25, 2025. On June 4th, the Massachusetts House passed a rewritten version of the bill, H.5479. The Senate refused to agree with the House’s changes and the bill now sits in an appointed conference committee for negotiations.
Key Officials
Oppose Restrictive Data Privacy Proposal in Massachusetts
🚨 The MA Senate just passed S.2619 — an extreme data privacy bill that does little to protect consumer privacy. Instead, it would make it much harder for small businesses to reach customers and compete online.
Fill out the form to sign our letter below urging lawmakers to oppose S.2619.
Dear Massachusetts Lawmakers,
I am writing to express my deep concern about S.2619, the data privacy bill that recently passed the Massachusetts Senate. Though well-intentioned, S.2619 would significantly harm small businesses like mine — making it harder for me to advertise effectively, understand my customers, and grow.
Data-powered digital ads help me reach customers interested in my products, and data-based insights provided by my digital partners help me improve my business’s marketing strategy efficiently. None of this involves any sensitive or personally identifiable data — it’s simply about reaching the right audience.
If passed, S.2619 would severely restrict this valuable data, making it harder and more expensive for small businesses like mine to reach new customers, generate repeat customers, and compete against larger companies. Making matters worse, I am also concerned that the bill’s complex compliance requirements would make me an easy target for predatory lawsuits I simply cannot afford.
I respect our customers’ privacy and support sensible data privacy regulations. But S.2619 goes too far. I urge you not to overregulate the data that powers small businesses’ most effective digital advertising tools. Please oppose S.2619 before it does lasting harm to Massachusetts’ small business community.
